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Baby boomer couples cutting health care costs by pooling resources to reduce the cost of long term care premiums. Instead of buying for one, advisers and analysts say you can sometimes slash premium costs by approaching long term care insurance as a couple.

For those willing to shop around the following three strategies are worth exploring:

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Baby boomer couples cutting health care costs by pooling resources to reduce the cost of long term care premiums. Instead of buying for one, advisers and analysts say you can sometimes slash premium costs by approaching long term care insurance as a couple.

For those willing to shop around the following three strategies are worth exploring:

1.Shared care plans

In general, sharing long-term policies doesn’t eliminate the need for both partners to buy separate plans. But unlike traditional policies, a special rider is tacked on to each to allow one spouse to dip into another’s benefits.

The main advantage of shared coverage is that if you need more than your current plan allows. But what happens if both eventually go over their allotted amounts?

If you’ve bought a contract with plenty of flexibility and terms that stretch over long periods, experts say that won’t necessarily be a problem. They point out that some providers offer policies that can cover an entire lifetime. A longer time frame usually means greater premiums. A lifetime policy can translate into extra costs when compared with short-term plans covering three- to five-years of long-term care.

“That can defeat the whole purpose of buying a policy that allows you to share benefits,” says Neil Gholson, President of LTC Finical Solutions, inc..

To make sure you don’t run out of benefits, Neil suggests at least four years of coverage. The Consumers Union senior policy analyst says that’s based on data showing nursing-home use averages around 2.5 years in long-term policies.

“Very few people spend more than five years in a nursing home,” Gholson said. “So if you’re going to get a long-term plan that shares care between spouses, look at a four-year term. Fewer years could be a little shy, especially considering that policies can cover home as well as nursing home care.”

Best suited for shared care policies might be couples that want to buy shorter-term plans but still want some flexibility to reach into their spouse’s pool of benefits, he added.

2. Long term care partnership deals

Two years ago, Congress expanded to most of the country a program that had been running for years in less than a handful of states. It allows the total value of long-term-care policies to be counted against Medicaid requirements for drawing on personal assets to pay health bills.

But different states have different contingencies. For example, in New York consumers must purchase a long-term-care policy that covers at least three years in a nursing home and six years of home-based care. In return, the state pledges not to go after any personal assets once someone exhausts the benefits in their private policy, says Gholson.

“So Medicaid care becomes a free benefit without any strings attached,” he added.

States such as California and Connecticut use what’s termed dollar-for-dollar protection. In those cases, authorities count the value of a private insurance policy to determine the amount of assets that are protected against pay-down requirements in Medicaid.

It saves the states money because they’re shifting costs of long-term care to insurance companies. And it puts fewer burdens than we currently have on the entire Medicaid system.

For individuals, such partnerships can limit the size of policies they’ve got to buy. The trade-off is that if you buy less coverage than a state’s threshold to qualify for Medicaid, you’ll still wind up dipping into your savings.

“If you live in a dollar-for-dollar state, you might want to buy enough insurance to protect your entire portfolio in a partnership program,” Gholson said.

3. Ask insurance agents about discounts on bundled purchases

This could be the simplest way to savings.

Some carriers now offer promotional rates for two people that buy a long term care package at the same time.

Those are marketed as spousal discounts and can range between 15% and 25% off regular premiums. And if you qualify as extremely fit and healthy candidates, some carriers will even add another 10% discount on top.

Some things to consider:

Each of the three options presents different caveats. “People need to remember that the shared-care marketplace is a fairly new phenomenon,” said Cheryl Matheis, a health strategist at AARP. “They need to ask a lot of questions and carefully examine all of the details in each policy.”

1. Check the insurers’ history of changing prices and policy conditions. Only a few carriers haven’t hiked premiums.

2. Shared long term care benefits likely will cost you slightly more than traditional long-term-care policies of a similar term.

The alternative is that if two people aren’t sharing long-term-care insurance, they’ll probably need to buy more extensive individual policies to get the same level of coverage. The big advantage to shared care is that you reduce the term of policies.

3. If you’ve got enough money, the best option is always to buy separate longer-term plans.

4. If you’re looking at a more affordable alternative, then shared care is an option to at least consider.

5. If you choose a state partnership programs need to note any loopholes may exist, Gholson says. Even buying enough private care insurance to match asset levels isn’t a guaranteed solution.

“Depending on where you live or move, the different Medicaid eligibility and income requirements in each state, the government might still be able to come after your assets in certain cases,” Gholson said.

Spouses cutting health care costs can produce significant benefits with the right amount of research. Contact a Long Term Care Professional that represents several carriers to see what your options are.

The new food guidelines issued by the United States government recommend that all Americans eat between five and nine servings of fruits and vegetables each and every day. When you first hear that number, it may seem like a lot, but it is actually much easier than you think to fit that many servings of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet. For one thing, the shelves of the grocery stores are fairly bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, vegetables and fruits are some of the least expensive, most nutrient rich, foods in the supermarket. With all these fruits and vegetables to choose from, it is very easy to make these nutritious, delicious foods part of your daily meals and snacks.

When you take into account how much a serving really is, it is actually quite easy to get five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day. For instance, the recommended daily amount actually equates to a quite reasonable two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day. When you consider how many fruits and vegetables are available, and how low the prices usually are, it is easy to see how easy to reach this daily goal really is.

One great way to get the nutrients you need from fruits and vegetables every day is to take full advantage of the variety of these foods available. Eating the same thing every day quickly becomes boring, so why not pick a variety of fruits and vegetables, in every color of the rainbow and in every conceivable shape, size and texture, to give yourself a varied diet every day.

When shopping for fruits and vegetables, it is important to choose a variety of different colors. This is for more than purely artistic reasons. Different color fruits and vegetables have different types of nutrients, and choosing a variety of colors will help ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need each and every day.

Finding new recipes is another great way to ensure you get those five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Everyone likes to try out new recipes, and these new recipes may just provide the impetus you need to eat all those fruits and veggies.

New recipes can also provide you the important opportunity to try out some fruits and vegetables you have never tried before. For instance, everyone has eaten oranges, but have you tried kiwi fruit or mangoes? How about spinach or kale? Trying new things is a great way to find new favorites while getting the best nutrition available.

Many people mistakenly think that they do not need to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day if they just take a vitamin supplement. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. That is because fruits and vegetables contain far more than the micronutrients identified by science and synthesized in vitamin pills. While these micronutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E are important to good health, so too are the hundreds of other elements that are contained in healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. These elements are not available in any pill, they must be ingested through a healthy, balanced diet that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables.

In addition, fruits and vegetables are much less costly than vitamin pills. Fruits and vegetables are very inexpensive, especially when purchased in season and grown locally. In the long run, getting the nutrition you need from the food you eat is much less expensive, and much better for you, than popping those vitamin pills every day.

So don’t forget to get your five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. It may seem like a lot, but you can meet this quite reasonable goal simply by including fruits and vegetables as snacks, as garnishes, as side dishes and as meals.

Are you looking for an effective Treatments of Eczema. Have you found one yet?

If not, don’t worry. You could start on the road to healing your eczema by using food as your medicine. Foods can work miracles on your body and skin if your eat the right ones.

The three powerful groups of food that work well as medicine are superfoods, fruit and vegetables.

These foods have the propensity to heal, cure and hydrate your skin. The higher the natural water content of the foods your eat the better it is for your body, the more of a cleansing effect it will have on your system and the better that food is for you.

Here is a list of foods that you can include in your daily menu. Aim to eat approximately 50% raw foods. You will see a tremendous difference in your health and your skin.

Treatments of Eczema – Medicine 1: Blackberries – They work as a tonic and blood cleanser. Great for relieving diarrhea and works as an antioxidant.

Treatments of Eczema – Medicine 2: Blueberries – These work as a laxative. They cleanse the blood and dramatically improve circulation. Blackberries are beneficial to your eyesight and act as an antioxidant.

Treatments of Eczema – Medicine 3: Cranberries – These are a favourite for women. Excellent for respiratory system, kills bacteria and viruses in the kidney, bladder and urinary tract.

Treatments of Eczema – Medicine 4: Corn – Good for eczema. Works well as anti-cancer medicine. Excellent food for the brain and nervous system. Rich source of essential fats.

A variety of health problems exist today which can all be traced back to the colon; abdominal pain, discomfort, constipation, diarrhea and lack of energy. Bowel movements are the basis of our health. If we don’t have at least one bowel movement per day, we are already walking our way toward disease. These diseases even may lead to colon cancer. Therefore we require a regular cleanses of our colon, kidney, liver & gall bladder to keep our bodies healthy. A colon cleanse is the most important cleanse of all others.

Different Types of Colon Cleansing

The different methods of colon cleansing are 1) Colon Hydrotherapy, 2) Enemas, 3) Herbal supplements, 4) Laxatives and 5) Oxygen-based Cleansers. Here is a brief description about all these cleansing methods.

1) Colon Hydrotherapy: In this process of colon cleansing warm and filtered water is used to fuse into the colon via a plastic tube. With this method, only the large intestine can be cleansed. Colon hydrotherapy process is also termed as ‘colonic irrigation’ and ‘using colenemas.’

2) Enemas: The problem of constipation is being treated by this process of colon cleansing from many earlier centuries. The effectiveness of this treatment mainly depends on the type of enema used. Enemas are used to remove the waste material only from the lower part of the colon. Enemas are also useful in emptying the rectum. The different types of enemas are water enemas, coffee enemas, clay enemas, etc. Most people do not like inserting enemas through their rectal cavity.

3) Herbal supplements: Nowadays, different herbal supplements are available on the market in the form of pills or capsules. These herbal supplements are very inexpensive and are not fully effective in cleansing the bowel.

4) Laxatives: Like enemas these are also used as the temporary treatments of constipation. This treatment can be considered as the most dangerous treatment among all other colon cleansing methods as there may be serious dehydration and even loss of muscle round the colon lining.

5) Oxygen-based Cleansers: The best method among all the colon cleansing methods is the Oxygen-based Cleansers. In this process of colon cleansing the compacted matter can be melt away by oxidation reduction reaction. A good oxygen-based colon cleanser works in the whole system and can completely cleanse the entire intestinal tract and it also fully detoxifies the whole tract.

I hope the above information will give you a good idea on which type of cleanse to do for your colon, and open your eyes to the many reasons as to why you should opt for a colon cleanse if you haven’t had one, regardless of your current state of health.

As a teenager, every time I got acne, my grandmother was convinced that it was due to bad bowel. But I used to brush her off as being prejudiced. But now that I am experienced and well informed I know the value of a god bowel movement, not only for maintaining the health of your skin, but for an overall well being.

A properly functioning colon is the precondition for a healthy bowel movement and healthy colon can be achieved through its proper cleansing at regular intervals. There are so many techniques to accomplish this objective. Colonic irrigation is one of the most popular among them.

Most of us lack the basic idea about how various colon- cleansing methods work and avoid them out of the gross misconception that the methods are complex and painful. On the contrary, the colon cleansing methods, particularly the colonic irrigation is a simple process that produces dramatic results. How? To know the answer read on.

Colonic irrigation is typically performed by a licensed professional in a clinic and the entire procedure does not take more than forty five minutes.

In brief, it is a kind of water therapy to cleanse your colon. First a small speculum with an attachment of plastic hose is inserted into the patient’s rectum. The plastic hose is connected to the colonic machine. The machine controls the volume and temperature of the water which is passed onto the hose that take the water to the patient’s rectum and through this to the entire colon.

The volume of water with which the patient’s colon is temporarily filled up varies according to individual tolerance. This gush of water induces peristaltic or muscular contractions in colon. As a result fecal matters from the patient’s colon are forced out. These wastes are expelled through a clear plastic tube.

During the irrigation process the therapist slightly massage the parts of the abdomen to help free the encrusted wastes on the walls of the colon. Thus the colonic irrigation does not only pull out the mucus and parasites, the old fecal matters, dark black in color come out through the tube.

The amount of water is important. Only a proper volume of water is capable of inducing proper contraction of the muscles, so that the colon resumes its normal peristaltic activities. When more than required water is used, not only it becomes painful for the patient, it may produce negative results. Less amount of water on the other hand makes the colon overwork.

In general, colonic irrigation is a process which is neither painful nor uncomfortable if performed professionally. Generally more than one session of colonic irrigation are needed to completely get rid off the encrusted feculent matters. So good amount of patience is required to get success from the treatment of colonic irrigation.

You may improve your health and have a physically fit body by getting into boxing training fitness programs. This is the best way for you to have a stronger body and gain confidence. Boxing workouts can help you to be at your best fighting form as well.

Many people see positive results from boxing trainings. You may build stronger and more defined arms and legs. These programs and classes also help you to gain a sense of inner strength and emotional balance.

Boxing training classes got across to the mainstream of physical fitness training a few years back. They have seen the benefits on the cardiovascular and toning of the muscles by these boxing training workouts. Tae bo work out videos also popularized these boxing and kickboxing exercises.

Cardio boxing training classes and the innovative variations of the sparring jabs, power punches, defense, and fitness has all blends of aerobics exercises. You will learn the proper execution of the punch and kick combinations for a more intensive workout that can help you become stronger and more confident.

The combinations you perform on the blocks, jabs, and kicks are executed to an imagined opponent. You may see classes where participants throw punches and kicks on the air. You will also find training camps that have quality equipment such as punching bags and you may also have the option of getting a partner that has padded hands.

You may also enjoy more benefits aside from the physical aspects of boxing trainings. Cardio kick boxing workouts allow you to burn out 350 to 500 calories in just an hour. It also helps maintaining the heart rate at 75 percent to 85 percent regular beat. This has been proven to be good and is the recommended range if you are exercising or into training.

Moreover, these boxing training classes improve your speed, resistance, and strength. Flexibility and the reflexes of the muscles are also enhanced. Repetitive motion on arms by sparring and jogging while you punch helps your arms and legs gain strength and power.

These workouts also enable your joint movements to build very efficient fitness results.
These movements require you to develop balance and coordination that enables your body to be stable and maintain a good form.

These physical benefits you gain from boxing and kickboxing are just few of the many benefits that they can provide. You will be able to learn more about defense mechanism skills, which you may use in case of unwanted instances. You will also feel the satisfaction when you punch or kick. Relaxation and self-motivation is also developed.

You will feel a sigh of relief and feel that you are released from stressed. It also helps you to get rid of that anger that is inside of you. Once these things are releases, you may feel lightness into your body and peace of mind as well.

Many aerobic and fitness experts recommend boxing training lessons for beginners. It allows you to workout on your desired pace and body condition. Boxing classes let you to push yourself to the limit as long as you are safe and well conditioned.

Positive results await you with boxing training. You will enjoy a physically fit body and will keep you in better shape. You have the option working out and exercising at your preferred level and skill. Enjoy the fun of these boxing training programs.

Most people think that they are quite safe in their homes, or any other place which one has been used to; but its time to think twice. Why?

Our world is no longer the same world as it was a very long time ago. Before, when civilizations were just beginning to form, the whole environment was safe and free from any pollution. But now, because of the rapid changes which took place in almost every part of the world, the environment is ‘unsafe’ to almost any individual.

Who wouldn’t want to attain longevity in life? Seldom can you find people that reach the age of 120 years or more. But before, that is quite possible. People now are contented and happy enough when they still reach the age of 65.

The lifestyle of many people now has a major effect on the entire body system. Because of the unhealthy lifestyle that people are getting used to, the body is able to acquire harmful chemicals (like acids). These harmful chemicals should be eliminated from the body’s system, however, when the body is unable to perform natural detoxification, the chemicals or acids stay in the body and form build ups.

This build up cause imbalance in your body, and after sometime, other complications may arise. You might wonder how you were able to get too much acid build up in your body, but the answer is very much obvious.

Observe your daily life; most of the food stuffs that you’re used to eating contain many harmful chemicals. Beverages like soda pop, coffee, alcohol and other milk beverages can cause certain diseases. Cigarette smokers are not exempted from acquiring harmful acids; as well as inhaling exhaust from cars, trucks, and other vehicles. Dousing yourself with hygiene products which contains harmful chemicals; pharmaceutical drugs, and the modern technology all contributes to acid build up in our body.

So you can just imagine living your life every day with all this harmful things around us. No wonder a lot of people get sick. A call to a natural way of healing diseases or illnesses is the cry of many people who are now aware of the sad fact that many others refuse to believe.

Body detox is a good way to rid your body of the harmful chemicals that has been inside your body for some time now. Detox can help your body to reverse all negative effects from unhealthy lifestyle and eating habits.

There is a lot of detox resources that you can make use to guide you in your quest for a rejuvenated and new life. The book entitled The Tao of Detox: The Natural Way to Purify Your Body for Health and Longevity was written by Daniel Reid. This book will show you a holistic approach to cleanse your body. There is a need to detoxify our internal body, just as it is needed to clean our environment (and the whole planet).

This book will provide you with a solution to restore and preserve good health. And this will only be realized through detoxification.

If you desire to live a long life, purchase this book, and let it be your guide to detox your body, and help you change your unhealthy lifestyle. Start now before it is too late.

It doesn’t matter if you have already decided to purchase health insurance for the family pet or if you are simply. When you are comparing the quote of one health insurance quote to another remember that the base doller amount is not the only number you have to consider. In addition to the monthly payment make sure you also check out exactly what type of veterinary care and treatments are covered (some basic insurance plans do not include cancer treatment), what kind of deductible you, the pet owner, will be expected to pay, is there a yearly cap on medical expenses, and what type of discounts are available.
At the moment there are only a handful of companies that offer pet health insurance. Five of the most popular companies are Pets Best Pet Insurance, Veterinary Pet Insurance, ShelterCare, Pets Health and PetCare.
An insurance plan through Pets Best Pet Insurance will cost approximately $32.00 a month ($384.00 annually). Pets Best will cover pet sterilization provided the pet owner purchases an additional wellness plan. Pets Best does not cover pre-existing medical conditions a pet has so its best to insure them early in life before problems develop. Pets Best has a life time limit of $99,750 dollars per pet. Pets Best health insurance plans come with a $75.00 deductible. Multiple pet discounts are available. Pet’s Best pet health insurance does cover cancer.
Veterinary Pet Insurance is a company that offers pet owner a $14,000 a year cap on an insurance plan that only costs approximately $20.00 dollars a month. Veterinary Pet Insurance offers plans with a $50.00 deductible (after the deductible they pay ninety percent of the bill) on plans that include pet sterilization and cancer coverage. Veterinary Pet Insurance does not accept pre-existing conditions and does not offer multi-pet discounts.
ShelterCare is a pet insurance that cost pet’s owners approximately $29.95. For that $29.95 there is absolutely no deductible and cancer treatments are covered. ShelterCare will not pay for pet sterilization nor will they cover any pre-existing conditions. ShelterCare does not have a benefit cap. ShelterCare offers premium discounts for multi-pet plans, medical service, and micro-chips.
A pet health insurance policy through PetsHealth insurance company will cost the pet owner approximately $37.17 dollars per month. PetsHealth covers 80% of the pets vet bill after the $100.00 doller deductible is paid. PetsHealth has a $13,000 doller cap on each per year. PetHealth does insure pre-existing conditions after ninety days. Multi-pet discounts are available through PetHealth. PetsHealth does offer pet health insurance plans that cover cancer on a case by case basis.
PetCare is a pet health insurance company that estimates the average cost for a policy for a pet is $29.95 a month. This plan includes a fifty doller deductible. While PetCare is happy to cover the cost your pet’s cancer treatments they will not pay for any pre-existing conditions nor will they pay for pet sterilization. PetCare offers discounts for multi-pet plans and medical service.
None of the estimated monthly prices for these insurance companies include any extra insurances riders.
Any one or all of these companies can change their policies between now and the time you purchase a pet health insurance plan.
Remember to read the fine print before you sign up for a pet health insurance plan.
All five of these pet health insurance companies have their own websites where you can go to get up to date pet health insurance quotes.
There are other pet health insurance companies with different prices, discounts, stipulations, and benefit caps if you are not content with the previous five comparisons.

Many people question the possibility of earning a health care degree online. There is a stigma that exists around earning this type of degree online instead of being in a physical lab to do the work. Many people believe that health care is a hands on job that requires on the spot training, and cannot be obtained online. This is anything but true, as the boomer generation increasingly becomes more interested and in need of quality health care. The fact is that there are more health care jobs available today than there are people to fill them. The massive boomer population is getting to the age of retirement when their medical needs will surely increase. The already understaffed health care field will become even more in need of health care professionals. Earning a health care degree online is a great idea for anyone who is looking for a rewarding career. The benefits aren’t just monetary; they’re also rewarding in the fact that you are free to work while earning your degree, and can do it on your own time schedule.

Most people imagine health care degree online programs as being directly associated with becoming a doctor, or nurse; however there are many new health care fields that are also becoming popular. There is a high demand for those that have certification in medical transcription and medical assisting. Both careers have what seems to be an insatiable staffing demand by the health care industry. Those that earn a degree with a specialty in medical transcription will most likely be able to work from home typing up doctors notes and case files. This is something that has even been outsourced to other countries recently because there is not enough graduates to fill the need. With a health care degree in medical transcription one can also assume responsibilities in a hospital or doctor’s office helping health care professionals with their day-to-day duties. This is a great way to gain valuable experience, and make a difference in other people’s lives.

Concentrating on earning a health care degree online is all it takes to get the process going towards achieving a better career. This is such a certainty that many schools have career services offices with lists of employers that have an immediate need for qualified health care graduates. This is what makes you the most valuable commodity of them all; by allowing yourself to obtain a degree that makes you extremely attractive to those that are looking for health care related staff.

Another wonderful aspect of the health care degree online degree programs is that they offer an opportunity for those that have full time jobs to earn a degree on their own time. This means that you will not be forced to take a drop in your pay by having to take time off to study. You can maintain your current income while earning a degree online. Many students that spend time away from school, and return to continue their education find the most difficult task is to sacrifice their base income and subsequent lifestyle. Online programs allow you to continue working while achieving your degree.

Group Health Insurance is an insurance scheme provided by the insurance companies for a group of persons, such as the employees of an organization at a reduced individual rate. Most of the companies provide group health insurance schemes for their employees, which helps the employees to receive health treatments without any cost they need to pay. Group health insurance ensures the employees of an organization to receive medical treatment quickly so that they can avoid waiting long time in queues and other sufferings.

Group health insurance offers lots of advantages to both the employer and the employees. As far as an employer is concerned, the group health insurance scheme will provide enough medical treatment quickly for the staff of his company and thereby ensures speedy recovery from diseases and keeping disruption owing to illness in the office to some extend. The employee can also provide more focus on his/her job as there is no need to worry thinking about the time they want to wait for the treatment on the NHS, or suffering undue pain, or for a diagnosis.

Group health insurance plan offers several valuable benefits for an employee. The main advantage of becoming a member of the group health insurance scheme is that the insured doesn’t have to pay large premiums for taking a private health insurance plan. The employee can work without being worried of their health as he/she will surely get quality medical help immediately if needed.

There are several health insurance companies offering group health insurance schemes. Most of the health insurance companies, as part of their Group Health Insurance Plan, provide the insured (the employees of the company) to take a ‘health check’ once in every year at any private hospital with which the company has tie-up. The health checks will cover a complete check up, which include height, levels of fitness, weight, blood tests, blood pressure. The health checks are done so as to check whether the insured employee is in a good health or to find out a so far undiagnosed condition. What ever be the purpose, the health check is considered to be beneficial for the employee and the employer.

For those individuals who are not a member of the group health insurance scheme has to pay about $150 upwards to perform a complete health check. Hence this is considered as an added advantage for those who are in the group health insurance scheme. Group health insurance also helps to boost the morale of the staffs as they will know that their employer is providing special care about his employees.

Group health insurance schemes will differ from one insurance provider to another. The insurance coverage will also change according to the schemes you select. But there are certain factors which all the group health insurance schemes will cover for:

– In-patient and day-patient treatment
– Out patient treatments such as physiotherapy
– Free Help lines such as a GP Helpline and Stress Counseling Helpline.
– Specialist consultations after getting a referral from the employee’s GP

Group health insurance policy differs from one insurance company to another. It is always advisable to compare different insurance companies before selecting a group insurance policy. Select the one which suits your company.